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News Release

ARMED FORCES STRENGTH FIGURES FOR APRIL 30, 2000, SUMMARIZED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

The total numerical strength of the armed forces on April 30, 2000, was 1,398,003. This is a decrease of 4,120 from March 31, 2000, and a decrease of 3,580 from April 30, 1999.

These figures represent full-time military personnel comprising both regular and reserves on active duty and officer candidates, including cadets at the three military academies.

Excluded from these figures are approximately 65,000 full-time military personnel who are paid from other than active duty military personnel appropriations. This group is funded from appropriations for reserve components and Corps of Engineers civil functions. A comparable figure for fiscal 1999 was also 65,000 military personnel.

April 2000 strength figures for each Service with month-ago and year-ago figures for comparison are:

4/30/00

3/31/00

Change From

Previous Month

4/30/99

Amount

Percent

Total DoD

1,398,003

1,402,123

-4,120

-0.29

1,401,583

Army

472,026

473,481

-1,455

-0.31

468,451

Navy

366,799

368,064

-1,265

-0.34

365,456

Marine Corps

170,313

170,598

-285

-0.17

171,042

Air Force

353,237

354,411

-1,174

-0.33

361,363

Coast Guard

35,628

35,569

59

0.17

35,271

The active duty personnel strength data provided does not include Selected Reserve strength ordered to active duty by the President under Title 10, United States Code 12304.